TL-15 Safes - slab steel vs concrete composite fill (& B/C rated)

I'm looking at upgrading.

I'm used to reading literature about the TL-15s and the concrete composite filled.

But I've come across some Gary plate safe TL-15s with 1" door (1-1/2 at lock w/hardplate), and 1/2" body. The doors also have plate steel slides (versus large round bolts) only on one side. From what I've read this is actually a C-Rated safe and not a TL-15; and I'm not sure what to think of the door locking mechanism being on one side only.

Does anyone have any opinions on plate steel safes vs composite filled walls and the example above and door locking mechanisms?


I've also looked at AmSec, Gardall & CSS B-Rate 1/2" door and 1/4" or 1/8" box (w/reinforced corners, etc).
Are these B-Rated better door construction than the Gary one mentioned above?

FYI, I'm looking for burglary and not fire rating, and buying used.

 

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Well if you want used that limits your options.

 

Thanks for your input,
I'm just trying to understand terminology, etc better as I'm not a safe expert.

I can also buy new, but used prices are about 1/2 .. ie, more leftover for coins.

 

I'm no safe expert either but if you go to most locksmith b&m's they have the knowledge and usually a nice selection of new and used safes. The used ones are typically ones where the owner needed it unlocked for the contents and paid the fee by giving the safe to them after removing the contents.

 

Yes, the few around here like to sell Gun Safes which aren't even B-rated.
A few others direct me elsewhere as they don't carry the better safes even though they advertise that they do. Most homeowners are after the cheaper gun safes, or smaller safes especially for fire rating.

Many stores go out of business or upgrade their B-rated cash safes. With banks closing there's a bunch of bank safes on the market around here. Plenty of selection, just have to get my head around the dizzying selection, options, etc.

The one I'm working with has new and used but isn't local enough to visit during the week (and most of their hours are only during the day). I just want to double check information. It's like a used car salesman .. you don't know what you bought if you don't research it until down the road.

I just feel more comfortable knowing the definitions, specifications, etc. rather than relying upon someone else totally. Like a used car salesman except they charge a lot for delivery/install. So I want to make a good choice first and foremost and have one to last 20+ years with no issues like my current one.

It's like coins. Ppl tend to say why didn't you check with us first before buying rather than after the fact. Aren't all coin sellers 100% trustworthy?

 

Great information.
Very similar to other stuff I've read.

It's one of those things where you start questioning to gain more knowledge of everything. Those fancy looking bolts look like a great sale gimmick but if they are short and can be tilted when a door is attacked just let the door pop open. So the better safes have longer bolts or just slabs of metal. Then many of the TLs only have bolts/slabs on the opening and not any other side. But when you are dealing with a 1/2" or greater of heavy duty steal it's not going to bend especially if the body is heavy duty too.

There's a lot of learning about safes in general. But I'll be moving up to at least a C rated if not TL-15. I still use a bank SDB too.

I've also read a lot of the cheaper steel bodied safes coming from China. Gardall's Cash Safe has one from China and I spoke with them and they didn't recommend it as compared to their USA made ones even though it's rated the same. lol

 

If you want full protection from Hugh Wood you need a 1-hr rated safe.
That will protect coins during the average home fire but not paper.
For that you need one rated as a 2-hr safe.

 

So, if you have a 1 hour fire rated safe, they give you the same or similar rate as you'd get storing all your coins in a bank box? What about burglary rating?

 

Hugh Wood is MUCH more expensive.
Bank box has more burglary protection BUT does NOT insure the contents.
I assume that's because they don't know what the contents are (and don't want to).

I have the middle level of Hugh Wood insurance which covers the coins INCLUDING when I transfer them from home to/from a bank safe deposit box.

And I don't believe Hugh Wood specifies a level of burglary protection for a home safe.

 

Haha, I see now what I wrote was badly phrased. What I meant was that if you have the proper safe at home, do you get the same rate from Hugh Wood on your coin policy as you would get on the policy storing the coins in a bank box? I'm aware that there's no insurance on the contents of a bank box, and I'm a little wary of storing coins in one, since they're designed primarily for document storage (humidity concerns, primarily).

 

State Farm insures coins too. They need not only an appraisal of the coins but also specifics on the safe.

In this case I'll probably buy a new TL15 w/2 hour fire and then a used B Rated for other stuff I have.

I'm curious now, going to check with the insurance company if they also insure Bank SDB contents.

 

I've been to abandoned and seized SDB contents auctions and I can tell you that gold & silver coins / bars are a HUGE chunk of the inventory

 

The "cover all" policy is the next step up from mine and, yes, it is pricey.
And for ANY Hugh Wood policy you MUST be a member of the ANA.

As for the inventory your statement is close but they want to know about any coins that are worth in excess of $10,000.

State Farm can't even come close to Hugh Wood in cost of coverage and there's other hoops you have to jump through.
And I bet other home insurers are pretty much the same.

 

No inventory list?
So if you were successfully robbed, how would they cover the cost of what was lost without knowing what was potentially stolen ?

 

I don't have any individual coin even close to $10k
I'd just rather be safe (pun intended) than sorry.

 

You're punny

 

The internet all of a sudden is having safe sales